Frankenstein and Flying Saucers

April 29, 2018•29 min

On episode 54 of SOMEWHERE IN THE SKIES, Ryan shares his essay that was featured in the recently released book, UFOs: Reframing the Debate. The book, comprised and edited by Robbie Graham, features over a dozen authors from around the world who have contributed their thoughts, theories, and approaches to studying the UFO phenomenon. The essay, titled, "Frankenstein and Flying Saucers: Creating, Destroying, and Re-animating a Phenomenal Monster," draws parallels between the universally praised story of Frankenstein's monster and the ever-evolving, devolving, and monstrous phenomena and study of UFOs. As you'll hear in the essay, Ryan draws from the work of theorists and researchers including Carl Jung, Jacques Vallée, Jenny Randles, David Clarke, and Greg Bishop. It considers the enduring appeal of the UFO in modern culture, ufology’s long (and perhaps futile) struggle for legitimacy, and the questionable inclination of so many UFO researchers to label the phenomenon as “extraterrestrial.” Ryan does not discount the possibility of otherworldly visitation, but he ushers the reader gently down other avenues of inquiry and suggests we may sooner come to grips with the nature of the UFO phenomenon by seeking to unravel the complexities of human cognition and our own perceptual apparatus. Special thanks to Robbie Graham and White Crow Books for allowing Ryan to share the essay in its entirety. To purchase the book, CLICK HERE Patreon: www.patreon.com/somewhereskies Official Store: CLICK HERE Website: www.somewhereintheskies.com Order Ryan's Book by CLICKING HERE Twitter: @SomewhereSkies Instagram: @SomewhereSkiesPod Opening Theme Song, "Ephemeral Reign" by Per Kiilstofte SOMEWHERE IN THE SKIES is produced by Third Kind Productions, in association with eOne Entertainment